Meteghan boatyard building hulls for Arctic vessels

Meteghan - A.F. Theriault and Son shipyard in Meteghan will be hiring 15 employees, starting in April, to construct a dozen fibreglass hulls for 8.5-metre rescue boats.

The job will take four to six weeks, says assistant superintendent Gilles Theriault. The company is pleased to participate in the project, which will see the hulls transported to Halifax once completed.

“Every project is important for our employees and our community,” said Theriault.

Rosborough Boats in Beechville will be building on the hulls to provide two inflatable rescue boats for each of six Arctic offshore patrol vessels being constructed at the Halifax Shipyard as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Rosborough was awarded a $7.3-million contract for the rescue boats job. The vessels will be used for fast rescues, marshalling and towing lifeboats, as well as deploying naval boarding parties.

The Arctic offshore patrol ships will conduct armed seaborne surveillance in Canada's waters, including in the Arctic, assert Canadian sovereignty and provide surveillance and support to other government departments.